Yet another morning like any other. Mario did not catch any fish. Well, only a small one. He says a larger one got away. It’s a bluish morning. The smell of bacon is in the air. The birds sing. Friendly smiles. Complicity. The sky must be sad to see our expedition slowly coming to an end. It broke up in tears at breakfast. First, a few sobs followed by steady tears culminating in a full-fledged sob fest. It’s pouring cats and dogs. The tents are folded and soaking wet. So are the kids. Well, maybe not folded, but soaking wet for sure.
It’s raining. The canoes fill with water as we paddle away. We must bail at regular intervals. It’s raining. The consistency of the rain is only matched by the constancy of the flowing river. The rain falls, the river flows, we bail.
We’re making good time. Soon, we’ll reach our midday station. Moral is solid but, technically speaking, we’re in a mess. A tarp is set up and a fire is lit. Our young friends did 14 kilometres in pouring rain, without a single complaint. Unexpectedly they declare this a “High Moment”. Our second potato is unearthed, torn open. An explosion of Kit-kats, Coffee Crisps and Mars bars follows. There are stars in our young friends’ eyes. Fully boosted, they wish to complete the last 19 km during the afternoon. The guides consult each other and decide to go ahead.
It’s raining so much it’s disgusting. We see a huge birch tree – more than 7 meters in diameter. It does not flinch. At 400 years old, that tree has seen quite a few canoes go by. The rain increases, our young friends are full of joy. They can handle this, they’ve been through much more difficult situations. Two more kilometres to go, and Héléna calls for a canoe conference. Let’s paddle the last section in silence, in a nomadic meditation and expectation.
It’s raining. Le Domaine appears on the horizon. Amidst cries of triumph the paddles accelerate. A few more yaws and we’re there. They have met the challenge, the Gang of Nine. Nine accomplished Mistassins full of disconcerting energy. The sky unloads the rain and we unload the canoes. Soon, we’ll be inside the warm cabins. There, Céline greets us. Ah! Comfort and comforting!
During the meal, there is no shortage of discussions. The guides observe that this meal is quite animated. The venue may be the same as the first supper, but this one is so different. During the evening, Corry will salsa with Céline. More than once. On closer examination, doesn’t our friend Corry have the looks of a playboy?
Photographs of Mistassini 2008 and other photos of the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation are available at the following URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds
